Belgium pays homage to 'Chinese Schindler'

In the heart of the Belgian city of Aix-en-Provence, a prominent sign reading "Rue Madame Perlinghi-Tsien" celebrates Qian Xiuling, an extraordinary Chinese woman who symbolizes the deep connections and shared history between China and Belgium.

Qian's story took place during World War II, when the woman from Yixing of Wuxi, Jiangsu province, saved dozens of innocent lives in Nazi-occupied Belgium. She is revered as the "Chinese Schindler" and is known as "Chinese Mother" by the Belgians.

In 1912, Qian was born into a wealthy family in Yixing. In 1929, she went to study chemistry at KU Leuven in Belgium. After graduating, she settled down in the area. Her peaceful life was shattered in 1943 when a local youth was sentenced to hang for destroying German military railways. Appeals for clemency from the King of Belgium were rejected.

Upon learning that the occupying force was led by German general Alexander von Falkenhausen, who was an old acquaintance of her cousin, Qian sent a telegram to the general, begging him to release the youth for humanitarian reasons. She also decided to visit the general in person, undertaking the 160 kilometers journey to his office in Brussels, accompanied by photographs and letters given to her by her cousin. After much persuasion, the general agreed to use his authority to spare the youth. This act caused a sensation in Belgium, but Qian always believed that "saving people is just a simple act" and never saw it as a point of personal pride.

Qian later enlisted the help of general Falkenhausen in saving the lives of more than 100 Belgian civilians, and after the war the Belgian government awarded her its "national hero" medal.

"When I was given the task of interceding with the occupying authorities on behalf of the condemned, I realized that I was fighting for unfortunate people who had been subjected to the most odious arbitrariness," Qian said when she was awarded the medal.

Yet, despite the honor and recognition she received, this heroine, who passed away in 2008, summed up her contribution by saying: "Forget my story."

Few people knew of Qian's deeds until Yixing author Xu Feng wrote Forget Me, which is believed to be the first book about this brave but modest woman. It was published in 2021 to mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Belgium, and pays tribute to the friendship between the peoples of China and Belgium, and the encouragement a community with a shared future for mankind and international humanitarianism.

As this year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory in the World Anti-Fascist War, the Yixing Museum's modern famous people hall has updated Qian's exhibit. It now includes valuable historical materials such as her handwritten letters, loaned by Yixing collector Tan Weiguang, and multi-language versions of Forget Me, donated by author Xu Feng.